Chapter 339

Tessa’s POV

“The headmaster is corrupted; we’ve been interrogating him for hours and he won’t tell us where Ruby is. Carter is going ballistic,” Nathan said as we walked across the campus of the vampire academy.

We were told they were interrogating him in the visiting section. Most of the campus was on lockdown while the investigation went underway. I never expected that the headmaster of this school could be corrupted and work with the enemy. My head was spinning with realization over the fact that we’ve been played.

The enemy has been under our noses; watching every move we made, this entire time. I felt nauseated that Ruby fell victim because of our neglect. I just hoped we would find her before it was too late.

I heard the screaming of a tortured man just as we walked into the visiting center. Bernard and a few guards were standing outside the main room with their arms folded across their chests. They were staring through the windows into the visiting room, watching while Carter lost his shit. My heart was pounding and then it practically stopped when I saw the physical state of the headmaster who was tied to the chair.

His face was barely recognizable and I’m pretty sure he was missing some fingers. I cringed at the sight of him, but I didn’t have to look at him for long because soon, Joseph was standing in front of me, blocking my view of what was happening in that room.

“Get Tessa out of here,” Joseph ordered one of the guards.

I gasped at his words.

“What?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at Joseph’s back. “I’m not leaving.”

“I’m not arguing with you about this, Tessa. I don’t want you to see this,” he told me firmly, just before he opened the door to go into the room.

“Joseph, this is my battle, and she’s my best friend. I should be in there with you getting an answer,” I told him firmly, angry that he was casting me aside so easily like this.

He paused to look at me and I saw how serious he was when he said, “I don’t want you anywhere near this room. I’m serious.”

With those words left in the air, Joseph disappeared into the room. Shutting the door behind him.

Fury coursed through me. I was angry that he was pushing me to the sidelines when this was my fight.

One of the guards grabbed my arm gently and gave me an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry, Miss Campbell. Boss’s orders,” he said sheepishly.

I whipped my arm out of his grip and glared at him.

“Don’t touch me,” I said through my teeth.

Bernard stepped beside me.

“I’ll take her outside. You guys stay here,” Bernard told them.

“Yes, Elder,” they all said at the same time, returning to their posts outside the door.

Bernard glanced at me and motioned with his head to follow him. I went with him down the hallway and out the front door. I wanted to throw something out of frustration over the fact that I couldn’t be in there questioning the headmaster. I wanted to know why.

Why did he pretend to be on our side?

Why would he sell out Ruby like that?

What was in it for him?

None of it made any sense; how did Penny get her claws in him?

“Part of the reason you aren’t allowed in there is that you are too involved,” Bernard said, folding his arms across his chest as he watched me pace back and forth.

I paused and looked at him, my eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean I’m too involved?” I demanded to know.

“She’s your best friend and as you said this is your battle,” Bernard reminded me. “You are thinking too emotionally. When you think emotionally, you make mistakes. We can’t afford to make mistakes right now. We need answers.”

“Then what do you suggest I do? Just sit back and watch others investigate while I do nothing?” I asked, feeling myself wound up.

“You need to calm down for starters. Take a deep breath,” he told me calmly.

“How am I supposed to calm down?!” I seethed. “My best friend is missing because of me. She could have been hurt, or worse…”

“It’s not your fault that she was taken, Tessa.”

“If I didn’t exist…” my voice trailed off as I let out a sob, tears burned the backs of my eyes, and I couldn’t help but release them.

“Don’t do that to yourself, Tessa,” he said softly. “None of this is your fault. It’s Evelyn’s fault. She’s the one who orchestrated this entire thing. She’s the one who has your friend.”

My heart felt heavy in my chest, and I nodded slowly. He was right, she did have Ruby. So, where exactly would she bring her?

Would it be possible that she to take her to my father’s farm? Would that be too obvious?

There are a couple of places she could hide Ruby, like the stables. But couldn’t Ruby just escape if she’s not locked in some kind of cage? My head was whirling with thoughts when a familiar voice sounded from behind me.

“Tessa.”

I turned around sucked in a sharp intake of breath.

“Jordan?” I gawked.

I hadn’t seen Jordan in months. Jordan was one of the head officers of the Nightwalker police. He also despised me for a long time when I first met him, and I’m still not convinced that he likes me but at least now we’ve learned to work together when needed. Not that I work with them often, but we’ve finally agreed to disagree.

However, it’s been months since I’ve last seen or spoken to him, and I was surprised he was actually here.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him.

“The chief sent a few of us here to help with the investigation. We found something that might be interesting. I’ve only ever seen this in stories, but it might be something one of you recognizes.”

I furrowed my brows together and looked at Bernard who looked equally confused.

“Okay, take us to it,” Bernard answered for the both of us.

Jordan leads us across the table and towards the administration offices. We walked up the stairs and across a very vacant office-like area, past the receptionist's desk, and into a large room.

I knew this very expensive and nice-looking office had to be the headmaster's office. There were a couple of other officers in the room that I recognized from my time with the Nightwalkers. They glanced at me and gave me head nods as greetings; I returned them and then refocused my attention on Jordan who had pushed a closet door open.

He bent to the ground and examined something that I couldn’t quite see. A small frown marries his lips.

“Can you see what I’m seeing?” He asked.

“No,” I said, feeling a bit annoyed.

Bernard got a better look; he bent down and cocked his head to the side. After a moment, or examining he sucked in a sharp breath.

“It can’t be…” he whispered; his voice almost hoarse.

“So, it is what I was thinking,” Jordan murmured, concern lacing his tone.

“What is it?” I asked him, stepping closer.

“See this thick purple moisture right here?” Bernard asked, pointing to a spot on the ground. Upon getting a closer look, I finally saw what he was looking at. It didn’t look significant though so I’m not sure what the big deal was about it.

“Yes,” I finally answered.

“It’s Glob Juice,” he explained.

“Glob juice?” I asked, not following.

“Yes,” he answered. “It’s how it sounds. A glob is a shapeless creature that can mold and form into anything. They typically only take the form of their victims.”

My mouth fell open.

“And it was in here?” I asked, baffled by the sound of that.

“Seems it,” Jordan said.

“So, there could be a walking glob around here?”

“It’s more than just a glob. Once it makes a kill and takes a form, it mimics not just looks, but personality, memories, thoughts, pretty much everything that makes that person them. It would be impossible to tell who is a glob and who isn’t when they take over a form,” Bernard explained. “The fact that a glob was in here is a bad side.”

“Jordan, we might have found something,” one of the officers said from the other side of the room.

He and a couple of other officers were staring at the floor and knocking their feet against it, making a loud knocking sound.

“It sounds hollow. There might be something in here,” he continued.

“Pry it open,” Jordan ordered.

I waited while the officers pried open the floorboards and soon as the wood paneling of the floor flew free, I was smacked in the face with the most rancid scent I had ever smelled. I gagged and quickly turned my face away to keep from smelling it.

“Shit,” Bernard muttered as he walked with Jordan over the rancid smell.

“That explains the glob,” Jordan muttered.

I looked over at them and saw their pale faces as they looked at whatever was inside the floorboard.

I took a deep breath, holding it so I didn’t have to continue smelling that stench any longer. Then I joined them over near the floorboards, stopping short when I saw the figure wedged beneath.

I gasped and covered my mouth.

Bernard narrowed his eyes.

“Is that…?”

“It’s the headmaster,” I whispered. “The real headmaster.”

“Which means the one that Carter and Joseph are interrogating is a glob…”